


Hit and Run (Right Back to You)

by Pop_Culture_Salad



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 04:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4592223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pop_Culture_Salad/pseuds/Pop_Culture_Salad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth is in a minor accident, and Daryl seems to be more concerned with missing out on a prized buck. Fluffiness ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hit and Run (Right Back to You)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SirensCalling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirensCalling/gifts).



_I_ _’m gonna kill Shawn_

 

Beth shifted the old mangy truck into second gear, wincing at the grinding sound as she shifted. Her trusty Jeep needed new breaks, and Shawn had taken it to the shop for her earlier that week. Trouble was he had found himself a new lady, whom had been distracting him from his duties, specifically, the duties that entailed making sure she got her jeep back once it was ready.

 

_Ugh, when I meet this Amy I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind._

 

Beth was mad.

She was also late and frustrated.

 

She had promised her daddy she's be back before lunch, but it was looking less and less likely that would happen considering the slow pace she was driving.

 

She was also lost.

 

She had been so distracted cursing her brother's name that she missed a turn and ended up on a side of the woods she’d never been through.

 

She had needed to go into town for a few errands, and her father had graciously let her borrow his old truck. The poor thing had seen better days, and it was always a guess whether it would actually start in the first place.

 

If it did start, the driver was treated to a squeaking dashboard, a shaking motor once it hit faster than 42 miles an hour, and gears that would grind something terrible each time they were shifted.

 

But she could handle all that. It wouldn’t be a bother driving the old Chevy if those were the only things wrong with it.

 

There was just one thing she couldn’t stand….

 

A scraping sound to her right distracted her from seeing the large pot hole in the middle of the road. She yelped in surprise as she drove over it, jostled by the big dip causing the truck to jump.

 

Immediately the truck did the thing.

 

"No! Don't do this now!!" She begged as it started howling, the horn blasting completely on its own accord.

 

She hit the dashboard several times, a futile attempt to get it to stop.

 "I'm sorry I didn't see the pothole, please just shut up now!"

The horn got louder, a continuous wail that Beth couldn't help but imitate in frustration as she hit the dash harder.

She looked away from the road to the steering wheel and started pounding at it until a blur caused her to look up, just in time to see the most beautiful white tailed buck run out in front of her on the road.

 

Beth yelled and pulled the steering wheel to the left, cursing the Lord's name as her truck half spun and screeched off the road, stopping a few inches away from a tree.

 

The honking finally stopped.

 

  _Damn you Shawn._

* * *

Total silence.

 

That's what he loved most about the woods. Even the sounds that did manage to escape held their own hushed tones, as if they respected their surroundings. Daryl had been grateful for it; hell, he was respectful of the trees for maintaining this peace he had often sought out. That's probably why he spent more time out hunting than he did at his brother’s shop.

 

There were perks to having his brother be his boss. Biggest one was that Merle pretty much let Daryl work whenever he wanted to.

 

He was a good mechanic and always brought home a good amount of cash whenever he did put in a few days. It was always enough to get by. Enough for him to take off and hunt whenever he wanted. Merle didn't mind. He got to reap the benefits of Daryl's game, so it was win-win.

 

A benefit that would soon come to fruition Daryl realized as he saw the biggest damn buck out in the distance. That thing was a beaut, and Daryl was gonna bring it down.

 

 _Merle an_ _’ I will feast like white trash kings_ he thought as he slowed his breath and watched the buck move.

 

He waited, watching the buck take a few steps. It hadn’t sensed him yet giving Daryl the upper hand.

 

 _Maybe I'll invite Rick over_.

 

Daryl slowly reached for his crossbow and held it firm, aiming straight for the gut.

 

_Have Lori make that sauce of hers and we_ _’ll have venison with all the_ _…_

 

A loud pop caused Daryl and the buck to jump. The buck turned its head in the direction of the sound and Daryl held his breath.

 

When he was sure the buck hadn't been completely spooked, he raised the bow again and got ready to shoot when a loud honking filled the air, causing the buck to flee and Daryl to release the arrow miles away from its intended target.

 

"Goddamnit!" He yelled as he swung his bow over his shoulders.

 

The honking continued.

 

It was not respecting this world.

 

 "Are you fucking kiddin' me?" He turned in the direction of the road, attuned to the sound of screeching tires. He waited for a crash, and was grateful when all that followed was silence. He heard the horn fade away which was even more of a relief, yet his blood still boiled at the loss of the buck.

 

He considered for a second going to investigate before a new sound surprised him. He turned just in time to see the damned buck running at full speed in his direction, making a sharp left a few feet before reaching him, leaving a surprised Daryl at his wake.

 

 "Fucking mother dick!" He growled as he headed towards the road, ready to give that horn a piece of his mind.

 

* * *

 

 

She banged her head repeatedly on the steering wheel, hoping it would wake her from this ridiculous dream.

 

Sadly, this was her reality for the day, so she might as well do something.

 

Beth leaned back in her seat and immediately felt a pain on her side. The seatbelt had done some minor damage to her hip, but overall she was okay. She undid the seatbelt and opened the door, noticing how her hand shook as she reached for the handle. She stepped out of the truck and almost fell forward, finding that her legs were also shaking. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to confront her reality.

 

_I was just in an accident, a minor one, but an accident nonetheless._

 

She took a few more deep breaths and forced her legs to steady as she took in her surroundings. It was quite beautiful out there, at least she had that.

 

After a few more breaths she moved towards the front of the truck, chuckling a bit as she noticed that the truck was completely unscathed.

_Of course._

 

She heard a rustling behind her and almost laughed, not turning to see what the sound was. It would serve Shawn right if she was eaten by wolves just then. Then he'd really be sorry for not picking up her Jeep.

 

* * *

 

Daryl reached the road in hurried and determined steps, anger still the only thing he was emoting. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't a blonde little thing leaning on a truck, whole body shaking.

 

He stopped several feet away, and after a quick examination determined she was fine.

 

_Good. That'll make the scolding easier._

 

"Ey!" He yelled as he walked closer.

 

The blonde jumped and turned around. He noticed there were tears rimming her eyes, but they seemed to be out of anger, something Daryl could relate to.

 

"What the hell you doin'? Scaring off all the game here with your drivin'?"

 

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?" She scoffed.

 

"Your damn truck and heavy hand caused me to lose a prize buck!"

 

Beth stared at the man (who looked a little familiar) and tried to process what he was telling her. _He can't be serious, can he?_

 

"Say again?" She needed to be sure she heard him correctly.

 

The man starred at her incredulously and took several steps forward.

 

"I said," he spoke with a bit more anger, which only served to increase Beth's own temper.

 

"Your damn driving scared away my buck!”

 

Beth knew she probably should have said something at that point. Probably remind him that it wasn’t polite to yell at a stranger.

 

 _Or maybe I should just slap him_.

 

"My damn driving?" She finally managed to choke out.

 

He held her gaze as she attempted to stare daggers at him, neither willing to look away.

 

"My damn driving" she repeated to herself in a half chuckle.

 

_Ugh, Bethy, it_ _’s not worth it_ _…_

 

She turned back towards her truck, determined to get the hell out of there before she lost it. "I'm fine by the way!" She yelled over her shoulder as she climbed back inside, slamming the door shut. She leaned her head out the driver window, still furious and determined to let him know it. "Just like your precious BUCK, I'm _well_ and _alive_!" 

 

Daryl felt a small amount of shame as he watched the blonde lean into the steering wheel, getting ready to drive away.

 

 _The fuck's wrong with you?_ He shook his head at his own actions and wondered if it was too late to apologize.

 

Beth recognized the look of guilt in his eyes just as she was about to turn the engine on. _Good, serves him right. That's what he gets for having the worst priorities ever._

 

Her smugness lasted a few seconds though. As soon as she turned the key, the horn started up again, possibly louder than before.

 

"No no no! Not now" she whisper-begged the truck

 

She was rewarded with even louder honking. She pounded the steering wheel and looked to her right, seriously considered running home when the man appeared at her window.

 

"I take it this truck has a mind of its own?" The anger was gone from his voice, a gentleness that was completely welcome replacing it.

 

She glanced at him and sighed. "What was your first guess?"

 

He chuckled at that and took a step back, gesturing for her to get out.   She happily complied, eager to have as much distance from the sound as possible. As she stepped out, Daryl reached into his back pocket and took out a small knife, hopping up to sit on the driver’s seat. He pried open the steering wheel with the blunt end of his knife. After removing the cover, he cut the small wires, returning the silence back to the forest.

 

Beth closed her eyes and smiled. She took back every bad though she had about this man. He was an angel. He was a savior. He was her hero.

 

"Oh my god, thank you so much Daryl" she smiled at him as he returned the steering wheel cover and stepped out.

 

He was surprised she knew his name, and his expression must have shown it.

 

Watching him work had reminded Beth why he had looked familiar.  She saw the look of confusion and chuckled a little. "I recognize you from Merle’s shop. My family is there a lot." She explained.

 

Daryl turned his attention away from the pretty blonde and studied the truck.

 

"This trucks from the Greene farm, ain't it?"

 

She nodded.

 

"You must be one of Hershel's girls then?”

 

She nodded again

 

“Maggie?"

 

Beth immediately looked down to her feet.

 

Of course he would know Maggie's name.

She was the popular one of the two.

The prettiest. The smartest. The everything-est.

 

Everyone knew Maggie.

 

"No, I'm the other one" she said still looking down. "I'm Beth."

 

Daryl recognized the look of defeat on her face. The way she'd responded confirmed it. He looked down as well and kicked at the ground. He knew what it was like constantly being compared to an older sibling.

 

"Sorry 'bout that," he looked up, noticed her face still hung low.

 

"I'd heard Maggie was a looker, so I just assumed..."

 

Beth's face shot up right at the moment Daryl realized what he had said.

 

It was his turn to look down.

 

She couldn’t help the huge grin that formed. She knew it wasn’t proper, but she had just had one of the best compliments of her life. She was going to grin.

 

“Ah, well, ha ha,” Beth tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as Daryl scratched the top of his head, both clearly a bit embarrassed.

 

“Um, thank you for the help.” _Best leave on a high note_ she thought as she walked backwards towards her truck and got inside.

 

“Welcome,” he grunted as he pulled on his crossbow strap and took some steps back towards the woods.

 

“Oh hey, Beth” he called as an afterthought

 

She looked up from inside.

 

“’m glad yer okay.” He half smiled. She returned the smile, and damn if he didn’t feel warmth creeping up his cheeks again.

 

Inside, Beth prayed to the truck gods that her truck wouldn’t start. She didn’t want to leave just then. She wanted to stay.

Unfortunately the engine rolled to a start as if nothing had happened. She sighed and looked up just in time to see him disappear into the woods.

 

She looked at her phone and was surprised to see that it had been less than 20 minutes since her car swerved.

 

Twenty minutes.

 

It really felt like it should have been longer.

 

She sighed again and pulled the car in reverse, cursing it again for not failing her this time.

At least it was quiet.

 

She shifted and let the car coast for a second as she turned her head towards where Daryl had disappeared to.

 

“And just like that, he’s gone” she whispered to herself as she drove off, hoping to at least get a simple glance at him...

 

…which she wouldn’t have been able to because Daryl had made sure to hide behind a large oak tree, watching her drive away.

 

He sighed at his foolishness. Letting his anger get the best of him. Calling her by her sister’s name. Embarrassing the both of them. He gnawed at the back of his thumb as he felt the blush return.

 

He could practically hear Merle laughing at him. _“And all this time I thought you had no game_ _”_ Hell, he could even feel the sharp slap he’d lay on his back.

 

Daryl sighed and walked further into the forest, hoping to erase the last twenty minutes from his mind.

 

* * *

 

 

She tried.

She really did try to wipe that smile off her face. She couldn’t help it. It wasn’t every day she got a compliment like that from a man.

 

“A handsome man”Beth quietly giggled as she turned another corner, edging closer and closer to the city limits, eager to get home and share her story with Maggie.

 

“Stars shining bright about you…”

 

She felt herself grinning as she started to sing

 

“Night breezes seem to whisper I love you…”

 

She turned around one of the last curves that would take her away from the woods.

   
“Birds singing in the sycamore TREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!”

 

She screamed the last line as she saw the biggest jackalope of her life run across the road. On impulse she swerved the truck to the right and ran into a tree.

 

For the second time that day.

 

She put the truck in park and lowered her head on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths, trying to compose herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited until her body stopped shaking.

 

For the second time that day.

 

She slowly looked up only to see that damn jackalope staring at her. Beth whispered a curse word that even surprised her, and the jackalope turned around and hopped back towards the woods.

 

* * *

 

After what seemed like various hours later, Beth found herself parked next to a small gas station. She was sitting on the bed of her truck, legs dangling from the end, chewing on Red Vines. After she got her wits back, she called her daddy and told him she was running late.

 

She was still shaky from her two accidents, and figured she had earned herself a time out.

 

And candy and pop.

 

She sighed as she tried to convince herself she had reached a peak in her life. Things were probably not going to get much more exciting for her than they had that day. She bit both sides of her Red Vines and inserted it into her cola…taking some cool drinks as she replayed the last 45 minutes.

 

_Really, how could things get any more exciting?_

Without any prompting whatsoever, Beth turned to her left and noticed someone walking towards her.

 

Like a man of his own world, walking out from the trees, one hand around the crossbow on his back, the other holding something else to his side.

 

 

Normally she would have giggled and blushed, but she was too emotionally drained to do either, so she just smiled and waved as he approached her.

 

Daryl looked up just as the blonde waved at him. It took him all of five seconds to make eye contact, and even less to grin like an idiot once he realized exactly who she was.

 

 _Beth_.

 

He was about to make some smarmy comment when he saw her eyes grow wide, her mouth falling open in shock.

 

“You got the bastard!” She exclaimed as she looked down at his hand.

 

Immediately he looked down to the large jackalope hanging from his hand. He had been ready to call it a day when the damn thing came hopping his way.

 

“A friend of yours?” He asked as he looked up at her.

 

Beth looked up and smiled.

 

Her face grew a new shade of red as she took another bite of her Red Vine. She scooted to the side, and looked at the now empty spot beside her before looking back to him.

 

Daryl wasn’t the greatest at reading people…but he was good a reading signs. He felt a grin spread across his face as he stood a little straighter, and made his way towards Beth.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes....I know Jackalopes aren't real.....


End file.
